Worked case: refinishing the floor of a two-bedroom rental between tenants — what happens and what it costs

The scenario

Picture a ground-floor unit in a small building in Castle Park. The tenants have moved out, and the owner wants the oak floors back in good shape before showing the unit. The living room, hallway and two bedrooms measure about 850 square feet in all.

A walk-through finds wax in the hall, gray patches near the sliding door and a few pet stains in the second bedroom. A water-drop test confirms that the old finish is waxed, which means a recoat would not hold and a sand is needed.

A small test patch of the finish and sheen is done in the closet so the owner can approve the look before the floor is committed. The owner's schedule is tight: the job is planned for the weekdays between move-out and the next showing, with the work done during the day because nobody lives in the unit.

The unit is in a building from the 1960s, so paint on door trim and baseboards is tested for lead before any sanding touches it.

What the job involves

1. The unit is emptied, the floor is inspected, and paint near the sanding area is tested for lead.
2. A test patch of finish and sheen is applied in a closet and approved.
3. Rooms are sealed with plastic, and a vacuum-connected sander works through the grits.
4. Stains and gaps are treated, the floor is cleaned, and two or three coats of a durable finish follow.
5. The unit stays closed for the maker's drying time; the key is handed back when the data sheet says people may walk on the floor.

Materials and tools

• Drum sander, edger and vacuum
• Wood filler and stain-blocking primer for pet stains
• Durable water-based or oil-modified finish
• Masking tape, plastic sheeting and eye, ear and dust protection

Add-ons often paired with this job

• Finish and sheen test patch — +$75–$225. A finish and sheen test patch is a flat line.

Why it is done this way

Between tenants, a landlord wants a floor that looks clean, hides wear and takes another few years of use. A full sanding removes wax and stains, which a recoat cannot, so the job takes the refinish rate and the wax surcharge.

The schedule is a flag, not a price: working during business hours in an empty unit costs no extra, while the same work in an occupied space might be done after hours.

The numbers come from the business path of the calculator, which uses the same per-square-foot arithmetic as the residential path.

Landlords often ask whether a lighter job would do. A recoat is cheaper, but on a waxed floor it simply peels, so the saving is false; the better way to keep costs down is to refinish on a regular cycle and recoat in between, which keeps most floors out of the full-sanding bracket.

A neutral natural finish also helps a rental: it hides small scuffs, matches any furniture a tenant brings and can be touched up in one corner without redoing the room.

What would change the price

• Pet damage goes deeper and some boards are replaced.
• The lease requires the work to finish within fewer days.
• A third bedroom or a closet is added.
• The owner chooses a stain instead of the natural color.
• The unit is on an upper floor and the building has noise rules.